Earth anchor having tension rod guide and securing structure thereon



March 21, 1967 c, w. YAGER ETAL 3,309,823

EARTH ANCHOR HAVING TENSION ROD GUIDE AND SECURING STRUCTURE THEREON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1964 4? INVENTORS.

i Car/ W. Yeager Ob BY Wil/x'am A. H0//62/7d6/" TTORNE Y5.

March 21, 1967 c w, YAGER ET AL 3,309,823

EARTH ANCHOR HAVING TENSION ROD GUIDE AND SECURING STRUCTURE THEREON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2., 1964 INVENTORS. Carl W. Yager BY Wi/lfam Z. Hal/finder I ma TOR/v. 5 Y5.

United States Patent ()fitice Fatented -Mar. 21 l 957 3,36? 823 EARTH ANCHUR TENSIGN RG1) GUmE AND SEtIURlNG STRUCTURE THEREON Carl W. Yager and William L. Hoilander, Centralia, Mm,

assignors to A. B. Chance Company, (Ientralia, Mo.,

a corporation of Missouri Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,926 14 Claims. (Cl. 52-166) This invention relates to earth anchors and particularly to an assembly of the type wherein a semicylindrical anchor plate member is lowered into a suitable, angular, cylindrical excavation therefor, and a guy rod then driven through the ground toward the anchor plate for releasable connection thereto whereby the pull on the anchor plate is resisted by substantially undisturbed earth surrounding the anchor member. The novel structural components of this invention are especially concerned with unique means for coupling the guy rod to the anchor plate member without the necessity of workmen entering the excavated hole for the anchor member, and permitting complete installation of the assembly from ground level. An incidental feature of the invention is the provision of an improved anchor member which is substantially stronger than any of this type heretofore provided without increase in relative cost thereof, and specifically designed for high load applications.

Earth anchors have many practical applications ranging from support of electrical transmission line poles and towers, to bracing of various types of structures which are capable of being displaced or tipped over by atmospheric conditions or other types of forces intermittently, or continuously applied thereto. Anchors in general use include those of the helix type, conical plate members secured to a guy rod and placed in a hole therefor followed by backfilling of the excavation, radially expanding anchors which have leaves or sections which are cammed outwardly into the surrounding earth after the anchor assembly has been lowered to the bottom of a hole prepared therefor, crossed plates designed to be placed in the bottom of a hole and either forced out into the surrounding earth, or simply covered with backfill, deadmen anchors, and generally semicylindrical plate anchors adapted to be located within an angular excavation therefor and with a guy rod being driven through the ground at an angle with respect to the anchor so that upon connection of the rod to the anchor plate, the pull on the anchor assembly is against substantially undisturbed earth. It is generally recognized that anchors of the last type referred to above are capable of withstanding the greatest loads thereon, under normal conditions, because of the fact that the anchor plate itself is pulled against relatively undisturbed earth which provides the greatest resistance to displacement of the anchor plate from the initial position thereof. Furthermore, by providing outwardly projecting vanes on the outer cylindrical surface of the anchor plate, the assembly is resistant to creeping longitudinally of the original excavation therefor, assuring maximum load bearing characteristics for the assembly under various types of soil conditions. Additionally, by placing a load on the anchor assembly prior to backfilling, the earth may then be tamped in around the anchor plate for maximum compaction of the soil directly abutting the outer load bearing surface of the anchor plate member. Although somewhat more expensive than the simpler anchors first described above, anchors of the type having a guy rod connected to a generally semicylindrical plate member must be employed where high loads are to be placed thereon of the order of 25,000 to 50,000 total pounds per anchor.

In high load applications, it is necessary that the anchor plate member be of relatively large size for engagement with a maximum surface area of the earth wall defining the excavation for the anchor. These anchor plate members, which may be of the order of 3 or 4 ft. in width and 4 to 6ft. in length, are necessarily relatively heavy and therefore, difiicult to handle when it comes to placing the anchor members in the excavation formed therefor in the ground, and connection of the guy rod to the anchor plate. It has usually been found desirable to form a cylindrical excavation for the anchor plate member at a required angle with respect to the surface of the ground, and then drive the guy rod through the surrounding earth at an appropriate angle with respect to the anchor plate member excavation. When the head end of the guy rod emerges into the cylindrical excavation, then the anchor plate member is lowered into the hole for attachment to the guy rod. In the case of relatively large anchor plate members of considerable weight, it has heretofore usually been necessary for a workman to descend into the excavation to guide the anchor plate member as the same is lowered into the hole, into disposition to receive the guy rod in looking relationship thereto. An anchor of the general characteristics mentioned is shown in US. Patent No. 2,490,355, wherein the guy rod has a conical, enlarged head thereon which is adapted to be received within a keyhole slot formed in the anchor plate member. It was found that it was very dificult to align the aperture in the anchor member with the guy rod, when relatively heavy anchor plate members were lowered into the angular excavation therefor. in these circumstances, it was found virtually always necessary, and certainly expedient, to lower a man into the excavation for the purpose of shifting the anchor plate member until the keyhole aperture therein was aligned with the guy rod, whereby the latter could then be shifted downwardly to an extent to be received in the keyhole aperture. Thus, upon release of the anchor plate member, the head of the guy rod would then become hooked onto the anchor plate member for rigid attachment. thereto.

It is the primary object of the present invention to overcome the problems mentioned above, and to provide an improved anchor assembly of the type having a semicylindrical anchor plate member, and a guy rod for releasa'ble connection thereto, wherein the assembly may be buried in the ground without the necessity of a workman descending into the cylindrical excavation for the anchor plate member.

It is another very important object of the invention to provide an anchor assembly having the improved characteristics mentioned above, wherein a guy rod of the type having an eye on the normally lowermost end thereof is adapted to be inserted through an opening in the anchor plate member, and caused to come to rest at an exact position, through the utilization of guide means on the anchor plate member operating to limit movement of the eye of the guy rod until a suitable connector such as a locking pin may be inserted through the eye of the guy rod. In this respect, another important aim of the invention is to provide an anchor assembly wherein the securing pin for the guy rod may be inserted into the guy rod eye at ground level, and the guy rod then placed under tension to bring the eye and pin into locked disposition whereby disconnection of the guy rod from the anchor plate member is precluded so long as tension remains on the rod.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide an anchor assembly wherein is included novel retainer means for maintaining the guy rod eye engaging pin in locking'relationship thereto, even if tension on the guy rod is relaxed for any reason whatsoever.

Also an important object of the invention is to provide an anchor assembly wherein the components for releasably locking the guy rod to the anchor plate member are constructed for manipulation thereof, at ground level utilizing tools capable of grasping and shifting the locking components down into the excavation for the anchor plate member, and after the eye extremity of the guy rod has been inserted through an opening therefor in the anchor plate member.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an improved anchor plate member for the purposes mentioned above, having novel anticreep members thereon, which operate not only to preclude longitudinal shifting of the plate member in the original excavation therefor, but also serving to increase the strength of the plate member and prevent transverse buckling thereof, under high loads.

Other objects of the invention will be explained or become apparent as the description hereunder progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an anchor assembly constructed in accordance with the preferred concepts of the present invention, and illustrating the same in a typical installation, wherein the anchor plate member is located within an excavation therefor, suitably backfilled after proper placement of the anchor plate member, and wherein a tension guy rod is connected to the anchor plate member intermediate the ends thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the anchor plate member shown in FIG. 1, with a portion of the member being broken away to reveal the components of the anchor member, with certain of the same being in vertical section for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view looking downwardly on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and with certain par-ts of the anchor member again being broken away to show the details of the elements thereunder, all on the same scale as FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear elevational view of only the part of the anchor member utilized for securing the guy rod thereto, and with the eye of the rod also being illustrated in the normal locked position thereof;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4, looking downwardly and on the same scale as FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical crossseotional view taken substantially through the center of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, and showing the way in which the eye of the guy rod is guided into the locking station on the anchor plate member;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the eye of the guy rod in the innermost position of the locking station, and with the cross pin in position within the eye for releasably locking the guy rod to the anchor plate member; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, vertical cross-sectional view similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, but with both of the side plates of the locking structure being shown in side elevation, and with the guy rod being pulled toward the normal position of the same when under tension. The retainer for maintaining the guy rod locking pin in the forwardmost position thereof, is also illustrated in side elevation in this view, although partially broken away to show the position of the eye end of the guy rod.

An anchor assembly embodying the novel concepts of the present invention is broadly designated 10 in the drawings. The basic components thereof include guy rod 12, anchor plate member 14, and guy rod guiding and locking structure 16 secured to the concave face of member 14.

Guy rod 12 is of a length to cause the same to extend from anchor member 14 to a location somewhat above the level of the ground 18, and has an elongated rod section 20 integral with a normally upper eye 22 and a lower coupling section presented by eye 24.

The anchor member 14 is constructed of an elongated, semicylindrical sheet 26 of relatively tough steel, and with the dimensions of the sheet being dependent upon the load to be carried by assembly 10. Anticreep means on sheet member 26 preferably takes the form of a pair of transversely L-shaped components 28 each having a main planar portion 30 integral with an upturned or downturned lip portion 32 as best shown in FIG. 2. The components 28 are welded to opposite end extremities of sheet member 26 with the lip portions 32 projecting toward the central part of the member, and located within the concave area of member 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the lip portions 32 extend the full width of sheet 26 and lie on imaginary chords of the arcuate inner face 34 of sheet 26. The rectangular planar portion 30 of each component 28 is configured to project beyond the outer cylindrical surface 36 of sheet 26 and present opposed, roughly triangular areas 30a and 30b (FIG. 3) which are designed to bite into the earth surrounding the cylindrical excavation 38 for anchor member 14, formed in soil 40. Transversely V-shaped bracing members 42 welded to opposed, longitudinally extending margins 26a and 26b of sheet 26, reinforce the edges of anchor member 14.

Guide and locking structure 16 secured to the face 34 of sheet 26 includes an elongated, upright channel 44 provided with a bight portion 46 and two,generally parallel, spaced, outwardly directed leg portions 48. The side margins 48a of channel 44 which merge with bight portion 46 thereof are welded to the inner face 34 of sheet 26 substantially intermediate the ends of the latter as well as in central disposition transversely of the same. As is apparent in FIG. 3, the innermost planar face of channel 44 is spaced from face 34 of sheet 26, and it is not desirable that the end margins of bight portion 46 of channel 44 be welded to sheet 26, to permit flow of water between structure 16 and the proximal face 34 of anchor member 14.

Further reinforcement for sheet 26 preferably takes the form of a pair of angles 50 (FIGS. 2 and 3) located above and below channel 44, secured to the outermost extremities of legs 48, and terminating adjacent the inside margins of bracing members 42.

Sheet member 26 is provided with an upright, elongated, guy rod eye clearing aperture 52 therein which is directly aligned with a similar opening 54 in bight portion 46 of channel 44. It is to be preferred that the length of aperture 52 and opening 54 be substantially greater than the effective major transverse dimension of eye 24, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, to facilitate insertion of eye 24 through aligned aperture 52 and opening 54.

Channel 44 also serves as means for mounting guides taking the form of a pair of rectangular, parallel, normally horizontally spaced side plates 56 welded to the outermost face of bight portion 46 of channel 44, on opposite sides of opening 54, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Side plates 56 have aligned, elongated notches 58 therein extending from the outer face of bight portion 46 of channel 44, rearwardly toward the rearmost margins of side plates 56, as shown in FIG. 6, for accommodating a crosspiece in the nature of a connector pin designated 60. The notches 58 thereby define slots for receiving pin 60 while at the same time limiting reciprocal movement thereof. It is to be preferred that pin 60 be of greater length than the space between side plates 56, but not of a length exceeding the distance between legs 48 of channel 44. It is also preferable that the inner surfaces 48b of legs 48 converge as bight poition 46 thereof is approached, as illustrated in FIG. 5, to maintain pin 60 within slots 58 and thereby in locking relationship to eye 24. However, the effective width of legs 48 is less than the longitudinal dimensions of slots 53, to permit ready insertion of pin 60 into eye 24 of guy rod 12.

A pair of stops mounted on side plates 56 in spanning relationship thereto, takes the form of a pair of vertically spaced cross pins 62 and 64 which are located above and 0.3 below slots 58 respectively, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, with the outer extremities of each of the pins 62 and 64 projecting outwardly from the opposed, outwardly facing surfaces of side plates 56. It is to be preferred that pins 62 and 64 be aligned vertically with the extremities of notches 58 in greatest spaced relationship from the bight portion 46 of channel 44. The vertical spacing between cross pins 62 and 64 must be insufficient to permit passage of eye 24 of guy rod 12. therebetween.

A horizontal support plate 66 is secured to the opposed inner faces of side plates 56 in spanning relationship thereto, as well as the inner surface of bight portion 46 of channel 44, and serves as a guide and support for eye 24 of guy rod 12, as the eye is inserted through aperture 52 and opening 54. As is best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, plate 66 is parallel with slots 58 and is located in critical relationship with respect to these notches. The distance from the upper surface of plate 66 to the lower edges of notches 58 should be approximately equal to the effective diameter of the rod material forming eye 24. In this manner, when eye 24 rests on plate 66 as shown in FIG. 7, the axis of the opening defined by eye 24 is substantially on a line running longitudinally of notches 58 and intermediate the edges of plates 56 defining such notches.

A retainer clip broadly designated 68 is also referably mounted on side plates 56, and takes the form of a U- shaped member having a bight segment 79 normally overlying and spanning the distance between side plates 56, as well as a pair of leg sections 72 in parallel, spaced relationship and adapted to slide over the outer faces of opposed side plates 56 in only slightly spaced relationship therefrom. As is apparent from FIG. 8, the transverse width of leg sections 72 should be only slightly less than the distance between an imaginary vertical line through cross pins 62 and 64, and an imaginary line parallel thereto, and tangent to the proximal face of pin 63 when the latter is in engagement with the inner face of bight portion 46 of channel 44.

Installation of anchor assembly i is preferably accomplished in the following manner. The cylindrical excavation 38 is first formed in soil 41 at a required angle with respect to the ground level line 18. It can be seen that the diameter of excavation 38 required for the anchor assembly, is directly dependent upon the effective diameter of a circle having a radius equal to an imaginary radii for a cylinder corresponding to the cylindrical configuration of sheet member 26.

Next, another augered or dug hole 74 is formed in soil 40 at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of excavation 38, and along the guying angle of the cable or other device to be attached to guy rod 12. Anchor member 14 is then lowered into excavation 33 utilizing suitable mechanism on a utility truck or the like normally available at the anchor site. Anchor or guy rod 12 is then inserted through hole 74 so that the eye 24 thereof extends into excavation 38. Anchor member 14 is shifted longitudinally of excavation 38 into disposition to permit the eye 24 of guy rod 12 to be inserted through aperture 52 and opening 54. It is to be pointed out that exact alignment of anchor member 14 with respect to guy rod 12 is not required in View of the relatively large size of aperture 52 and opening 54 with respect to eye 24. For this reason, it is not necessary for a workman to descend into the excavation 38 for aligning the anchor member 14 with the guy rod 12. The eye 24 of guy rod 12 is pushed through the aperture 52 and opening 54 until the eye 24 engages the stops defined by cross pins 62 and 64. Eye 24, during such rearward movement, rests on plate 66 as is apparent from FIGS. 6 and 7.

Next, a suitable tool available on the utility truck is used to lower pin 60 into excavation 33, and then to insert such pin through aligned notches 58 and the eye 24 of guy rod 12 as shown in FIG. 7. A pull is then exerted on guy rod 12 at the upper extremity there- 6 of, to cause the guy rod to shift longitudinally of hole 74, and thereby force pin 60 to slide longitudinally of the notches 58 to bring pin 60 into firm engagement with the inner surface of bight portion 46 of channel 44. Another grasping tool on the utility truck is employed to lower retainer clip 68 into excavation 38 and place the same over side plates 56 in the position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, to thereby cause the pin 60 to be retained in substantially the position of the same adjacent bight portion 46 of channel 44 as indicated in FIG. 8.

As previously noted, it is preferred that excavation 38 be backfilled with earthfill 76 after a force is placed on guy rod 12 in a direction to cause the outer face 36 of sheet member 26 to move into firm engagement with the earth side wall defining excavation 38. This also causes the planar portions 30 of L-shaped components 28 to slice into the ground and thereby preclude creeping of anchor member 14 during extended service of the anchor assembly. The hole 74 is also backfilled as indicated in FIG. 1.

It is to be noted that the aligning and stop pins 62 and 64 serve important dual functions. They first make certain that the eye 24 of guy rod 12 is correctly aligned with notches 53 for insertion of pin 60 therein utilizing a grasping tool manipulated at ground level. In this respect it is to be pointed out that the spacing between pins 62 and 64, as well as the disposition thereof with respect to notches 58, is such that when the eye 24 engages both of the cross pins 62 and 64, the opening in eye 24 does not extend substantially beyond the rearmost extremity of slots 58. This permits ready insertion of pin 60 in slots 58 as well as the eye 24. Secondly, the outer extremities of pins 62 and 64 project beyond side plates 56 to serve as stops for maintaining retainer clip 63 on side plates 56 in locking relationship with respect to pin 69.

The channel 44 serves the important fuictions of reinforcing sheet member 26, as well as serving as a mounting member for side plates 56, guide plate 66, and maintaining locking pin 60 in proper disposition on side plates 56 when guy rod 12 has been shifted to move the pin 69 into engagement with bight portion 46 of channel 44.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An anchor assembly adapted to be buried in the ground and connected to a structure for bracing the latter said assembly comprising:

an anchor member having a bearing surface and adapted to be positioned in an excavation therefor in the ground with said surface in firm engagement with the ground;

an elongated coupling element for connecting said anchor member to the structure and provided with a connector section on one extremity thereof, said anchor member being provided with spaced side plates thereon defining a locking station for receiving said connector section therebetween;

a cross pin carried by the side plates on the anchor member at said station for engaging and locking the connector section and thereby said element to the anchor member when the connector section is received in said station; and

means on the anchor member at said station for guiding the connector section of the element into proper disposition at said station for connection to the anchor means by said locking means and operable to facilitate insertion of the connector section into the station as the element is manipulated from above the level of the earth and shifted through the ground in spaced relationship to said excavation, toward said anchor member and at an angle with respect to said surface thereof.

2. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a bottom plate on the anchor member in alignment with the space between said plates and located to support the connector section of the element until the cross pin has been positioned on the side plates in locking engagement with said connector section of the element.

3. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 2 Wherein is provided means on the side plates and engageable with said cross pin for maintaining the latter in locking engagement with said connector section of the element.

4. An anchor assembly adapted to be buried in the ground and connected to a structure for bracing the latter, said assembly comprising:

an anchor member having a bearing surface, adapted to be positioned in an excavation therefor in the ground with said surface in firm engagement with the ground, and provided with an aperture therein through said surface;

a pair of generally parallel side plates on the face of said anchor member opposed to said surface thereof, located on opposite sides of said aperture in normally upright disposition;

an elongated coupling element for connecting said anchor member to the structure and provided with a connector section configured to be received within and extend through said aperture in the anchor member, said side plates receiving said connector section of the element therebetween;

a crosspiece spanning the distance between said side plates for engaging the connector section after the latter has been received in said aperture for locking the connector section and thereby said element to the anchor member; and

stops between the side plates for guiding the connector section of the element into proper disposition within said aperture to be locked to the anchor member by said locking means and operable to facilitate insertion of the connector section into said aperture as the element is manipulated from above the level of the earth and shifted through the ground in spaced relationship to said excavation, toward said anchor member and at an angle with respect to said surface thereof.

5. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said stops are carried by the side plates and are disposed to engage the connector section of the element and limit further movement thereof during insertion of the connector section in said aperture in the anchor member.

6. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said guide means further includes a bottom plate on said face of the anchor member positioned between said side plates, disposed in generally perpendicular relationship thereto and of sufficient length in a direction away from said face of the anchor member to support the connector section of the element during insertion of the same in said aperture until the connector section engages said stops.

7. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said stops comprise at least two, parallel, normally vertically spaced pins spanning the distance between said side plates.

8. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein a generally upright, outwardly opening channel is secured to said face of the anchor member, said channel being provided with an opening therein substantially aligned with said aperture and having spaced, outwardly projecting legs and a central bight portion mounting said side plates and the bottom plate, said side plates having aligned notches therein defining slots for receiving said crosspiece and the latter being of a length greater than the distance between the side plates but less than the space between said legs to cause the crosspiece to be confined therebetween.

9. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said legs of the channel have faces at least slightly converging as the anchor member is approached to assure proper alignment of the crosspiece with respect to said connector section of the element.

it An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said stops project outwardly from respective, outer, opposed surfaces of the side plates, there being a retainer over the side plates between said crosspiece and the stops to retain the crosspiece in proximal relationship to said bight portion of the channel.

11. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said retainer is of generally U-shaped configuration and having a central segment overlying and spanning the distance between said side plates and a pair of leg sections depending from said central segment and located between respective stops and the crosspiece.

12. An anchor assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said element comprises an elongated guy rod and said connector section thereon is an eye integral with the rod, said crosspiece comprising an elongated coupling pin of a diameter to be received in said eye and said side plates being provided with aligned slots therein receiving respective extremities of the coupling pin.

13. An anchor assembly adapted to be buried in the ground and connected to a structure for bracing the latter, said assembly comprising:

an elongated anchor member having an outer, generally semicylindrical bearing surface and adapted to be positioned in a cylindrical excavation therefor in the ground with said surface in firm engagement with the ground wall defining said excavation;

an elongated coupling element for connecting said anchor member to the structure and provided with a connector section on one extremity thereof, said anchor member being provided with means thereon defining a locking station for receiving said connector section therein;

means on the anchor member at said station for engaging and locking the connector section and thereby said element to the anchor member when the connector section is received in said station;

means on the anchor member at said station for guiding the connector section of the element into proper disposition at said station for connection to the anchor means by said locking means and operable to facilitate insertion of the connector section into the station as the element is manipulated from above the level of the earth and shifted through the ground in spaced relationship to said excavation, toward said anchor member and at an angle with respect to said surface thereof; and

anticreep means at opposed ends of the anchor member projecting outwardly from said surface thereof and adapted to be embedded in the earth surrounding said excavation to preclude shifting of the anchor memberlongitudinally of the excavated area of the ground after backfilling thereof, said anticreep means comprising a transversely L-shaped component at each end of the anchor member, each of said components having a generally rectangular main planar portion and an integral lip portion along a margin of the main portion, the latter being secured to a respective extremity of the anchor member in disposition with a margin of the main portion remote from said lip portion projecting away from and located in spaced relationship to said surface of the anchor member and the lip portion lying on an imaginary chord of said surface of the anchor member to reinforce the latter.

14. In an anchor assembly for burial in the ground and adapted to be coupled through an elongated coupling element projecting from the ground, to a structure to be braced, said assembly including:

an elongated semicy-lindrical anchor member of sheet material and adapted to be positioned in a cylindrical excavation therefor in the ground with the outer semicylindrical surface of the anchor member in firm engagement with the ground wall defining said excavation; and

an anticreep component at each end of the anchor memher and each having a generally rectangular main planar portion and an integral lip portion along a margin of the main portion, the latter being secured to a respective extremity of the anchor member in disposition with the margin of the main portion remote from said lip portion projecting away from and located in spaced relationship to said surface of the anchor member and the lip portion lying on an imaginary chord of said surface of the anchor member to reinforce the latter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Chance 52-166 Kearney 52-466 Kearney 52166 Chance 52166 Chance 52166 Hubbard 52166 X 10 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ANCHOR ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE BURIED IN THE GROUND AND CONNECTED TO A STRUCTURE FOR BRACING THE LATTER SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: AN ANCHOR MEMBER HAVING A BEARING SURFACE AND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN AN EXCAVATION THEREFOR IN THE GROUND WITH SAID SURFACE IN FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROUND; AN ELONGATED COUPLING ELEMENT FOR CONNECTING SAID ANCHOR MEMBER TO THE STRUCTURE AND PROVIDED WITH A CONNECTOR SECTION ON ONE EXTREMITY THEREOF, SAID ANCHOR MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH SPACED SIDE PLATES THEREON DEFINING A LOCKING STATION FOR RECEIVING SAID CONNECTOR SECTION THEREBETWEEN; A CROSS PIN CARRIED BY THE SIDE PLATES ON THE ANCHOR MEMBER AT SAID STATION FOR ENGAGING AND LOCKING THE CONNECTOR SECTION AND THEREBY SAID ELEMENT TO THE ANCHOR MEMBER WHEN THE CONNECTOR SECTION IS RECEIVED IN SAID STATION; AND MEANS ON THE ANCHOR MEMBER AT SAID STATION FOR GUIDING THE CONNECTOR SECTION OF THE ELEMENT INTO PROPER DISPOSITION AT SAID STATION FOR CONNECTION TO THE ANCHOR MEANS BY SAID LOCKING MEANS AND OPERABLE TO FACILITATE INSERTION OF THE CONNECTOR SECTION INTO THE STATION AS THE ELEMENT IS MANIPULATED FROM ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE EARTH AND SHIFTED THROUGH THE GROUND IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID EXCAVATION, TOWARD SAID ANCHOR MEMBER AND AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SURFACE THEREOF. 